BEASTS, BIRDS, AND FISH. 77 



of all, the bloodthirsty enemies discovered their 

 whereabouts. Very late one night we were startled 

 out of our sleep by hearing the sharp report of a shot- 

 gun quite close to the house. Naturally we were 

 alarmed, until some one called out, " Oh! it's only 

 Calaby." 



But we each put to ourselves the question, 

 " What's he shooting at? " 



The question was very quickly answered, and that 

 without the breathing of a word or the flicker of an 

 eyelid. 



Sniff! sniff! The house began to be invaded by 

 the most pestilential odour it would be possible for the 

 most depraved imagination to conceive. It grew 

 stronger and stronger; it penetrated to every part 

 of the house; it was impossible to get away from it; 

 and it persisted. 



When we rose in the morning, Calaby proudly 

 exhibited a dead skunk. 



Next evening, when the time came for fastening 

 up the hens and chicks, one of them could not be 

 found. Eventually we discovered her ensconced 

 behind the stove in the outer kitchen, the door of 

 which had evidently been left open. She was, of 

 course, driven away to her coop. Next night the 

 same hen was missing, and it was only after a pro- 

 longed search that we found her safe in the hen- 

 house. Clearly the smell of the skunk was abhorrent 

 to her! 



A few nights later Maggie and I were just winding 

 up the labours of the day when Maggie literally took 

 my breath away by the vehemence with which she 

 flung open the house-door and dashed out, crying. 



